June 11, 2018 First Transfer to Darwin Australia - Trio Companions

Heyyyyy everyone

So a lot happened this week and I'll try and tell everyone the important things.

So we left last Monday for Australia and ended up traveling for a grand total of 38 hours so that was just the best 10/10 would do again ;)...But in all honesty it wasnt too bad like there was a section of the traveling that was a 13 hour plane ride and I slept for like 12 of that so I wasnt like jet lagged at all when I got here. It was just orientation stuff when I got here and then on wednesday night we found out where we were going. I got sent to Darwin which is a 4 hour flight from Adelaide (where I arrived in). I couldnt go up till friday evening tho so I stayed with two Elders in Adelaide and that was pretty good. Friday we flew up to Darwin and I got in at like 10 30 at night. I have two companions cuz I'm in a trio with Elder Dickson (from Canada) and Elder Syme (From Mississippi). They're both super nice and good trainers. Elder Dickson only has like 3 months of his mission left and Elder Syme has a good deal left but he ran track as well in high school so we talk about that alot,

 

Last weeks schedule was pretty wack cuz I was just getting here and it was different cuz of just weird meetings and stuff but we should be getting into a usual groove soon. I'm trying to pick up all the slang here, its not as bad as people said it was going to be like its pretty easy to understand everyone just words here and there I have to learn. The aboriginals are sometimes hard to understand cuz they talk really fast and sometimes throw in their tribal languages so that can be confusing. Australia is pretty cool tho, its like super pretty and the people are really nice and friendly but as soon as you mention religion they pretty much shut off so thats fun. But yeah its good here, the work is hard but I think thats the way youd rather have it.

 

I should be emailing every monday (this week is different cuz here it is like 10 40 on tuesday) but yeah I hope everyone is doing great! Miss and love y'all

 

Elder Nelson

 

P.S. The place we live in is the pink palace and we are with another trio of Elders so there's six of us there its pretty wild

June 2, 2018 Leaving Monday for AUSTRALIA...The Exodus

Heyyyyyyyyyy everyone,

 

This week was good and we leave Monday so that’s super exciting, the MTC has been great and I’m sure the mission will be too. We got a new “investigator” named Kyle this week and he was fun to teach, we think he may have been an actual investigator but were not sure, he had like a million questions about the church, so lessons were interesting to say the least.

 

The other district that was in our zone left on Monday and on Wednesday. The elders left on Monday to salt lake east and the sisters to Nampa Idaho on Wednesday. One of the sisters in that zone, Sister Jones, gave me new stickers for my water bottle so that was a highlight of the week ;)

 

The food took a wonderful turn for the worse this week as we had some truly phenomenal creations in the cafeteria, the true highlight was a nice piece of “chicken” that had some neon green sauce on it, it was truly great wahoo but in all seriousness I am grateful for having food that is made for you and then cleaned up for you.

 

We (choir, me included) sang for the devo on Tuesday night and it was awesome we sang a medley of called to serve, all I will be valiant, army of Helaman, and I hope they call me on a mission and that was super fun! Me, elder kunzler, elder fackrell, Sister standadge, Sister Randall, and Sister Isbell are singing come thou fount tomorrow during church. Also we got a new district in our zone and they’re super awesome!

 

We watched the 40th anniversary of the priesthood for everyone last night and that was super awesome, I’d for sure recommend watching that. Elder Norman has perfected the art of scaring elder Kunzler late at night so that’s been happening. Elder Norman like hides on top of cabinets and scares people it’s quite phenomenal. I’m gonna miss having him as a companion and I’m not sure when I’m gonna be emailing next cuz idk when my next p day will be but I miss and love y’all and I’ll be on for a couple more hours and later tonight

 

Much Love

 

Second Week at the MTC

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy :)

This week was pretty good. Last Sunday was pretty fun, me and elder Norman went to choir and that was fun and then we sang in the MTC devotional on Tuesday (like a meeting where a someone comes and talks to us about something spiritual basically). Elder Rasband came and that was super cool cuz apostles (some of the leaders of our church) don't usually come that often and we we're lucky especially since we're only here for like 3 weeks. 

We got our itinerary for when we leave and we leave on the 4th of June and go from Salt Lake to San Fran (7 hour layover there) and then go to new zeland and then to adelaide so thats pretty hype. The travel time is over 24 hours and we don't get there till the 6th cuz we cross over the time zone and such. 

Me and elder Norman are teaching 3 "investigators" (2 of them being our teachers) but the third guy is like a convert to the church who acts like an investigator of the church and we teach him. Our first lesson was like super duper absolutely no good very bad horrible (perhaps I should go to australia) with him but on lesson two we got him to open up about his family and then the last 2 lessons went super well, "we committed him to baptism" by the third lesson so seems legit. God is good ;) 

Me and elder Norman and the whole district are getting along super well now so that's awesome, elder Norman is hilarious and I hope sometime during the mission we can be companions again. Life is good tho, like we don't have a ton of common interests but we get along really well so that's good cuz it makes life a ton easier here if you have a friend(s). 

Okay so story time for this week. This morning we we're going to the temple (basically where we make promises to god and do work for the dead and stuff) and so I get out of bed workout real quick and then hop in the shower right. So I get out put on my towel and go over to get back in the room and elder Norman is like so ummm we have a problem. So our doors to our rooms automatically lock and one of our roomates closed it while we were all in the bathroom so we couldnt get back in so we had to call the front and elder Kunzler had to go get the key and we barely made it to the temple on time so that was fun especially since we got up early so we would have time to get there early wahoooooooooo...Also the 3 other elders in my room are actually like getting junk food everyday and we have like this pile of terrible food on our desk and I think just being in the same room as it is going to make me gain weight (send help). Aside from that not a whole lot has been happening just class and everything like that. Next week we get to be the people that guide the new missionaries in so that'll be fun (not for them, that first day is actually a small century long) but yeah so it goes. I hope all of y'all are doing wonderful. Thanks for all the prayers and emails...if you emailed me I'll respond in a tad, we're doing laundry and me and elder norman have to plan a lesson for tomorrow for church. I love you guys so much and miss you all. You guys mean so much to me and every time I see an email during the week I get so happy :)

God is Good

Elder Nelson

P.S. SEND ME PICTURES I WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN Y'ALLS LIFE PLEASE :)

P.S.S. I'll send pictures in a second

Adelaide Australia



District at the Temple

Elder Nelson and Elder Norman

First post from Provo MTC May 19, 2018

HEY EVERYONE!

So it looks like while I’m in the MTC my p day (aka the day I can respond to emails) will be on Saturdays (so today and the two Saturdays after). While I’m here in Provo at the MTC I’ll be able to view emails any day, I just can’t respond till Saturday so feel free to email me anytime (especially to send scores of sports, *cough* nba playoffs *cough*) cuz we have iPads in the MTC and I miss y’all and want to hear about your lives and I’ll respond on Saturdays at least until I go to Australia in like 2-3 weeks (if my visa get approved).

My p day will probably change when I get there but I’ll let y’all know them! But yeah email me whenever :) After I send this I’m going to email my parents individually and then the people who have sent me emails already...if you want to hear from me individually today I can hopefully respond if I get it before 6ish mountain time! But yeah the plan is to send a weekly email to this group of people (y’all wonderful people) and them to email whoever wants to talk individually, I can’t wait to hear about y'alls adventures over the next two years!

So not a whole lot has happened here at the MTC, it’s mostly just been classes and studying since I got here. I thought adjusting to the sleep schedule would be hard (10 30 to 6 30 the next morning) but aside from the first night I’ve slept better every night so that’s been pretty good but I’m sure it’ll probably be harder to fall asleep when I actually get to Australia. Classes have been going pretty well and me and my companion are teaching our first “investigator” on Monday so that should be good practice for the actual field. We taught two lessons to our teacher who was acting as an investigator and that went pretty well. My companion is elder Norman. He’s from Springville, Utah so you know super far from home here in Provo ;) he’s nice but kinda quiet so I have to initiate conversation most of the time but he’s beginning to open up more and more so that’s awesome. My district is really good so that’s a blessing (my district is like the people I go to class with), it’s me, Elder Norman, Elder Fackrel (From Arizona), Elder Kunzler (from Rexburg, Idaho..his dad teaches at BYU Idaho), Sister Weston (from South Jordan, Utah), Sister Isbell (I spelt that right I swear and she’s from Indiana but lived in Texas during high school so you know TEXAS FOREVER), Sister Randall (did I remember her name by using monsters inc...maybe and she’s from Pocatello, Idaho), and Sister Standage (from Draper, Utah). They’re all super nice and we get along so that helps time go be faster. One of my teachers is majoring in teaching social sciences like I am so that was cool. The food is like whatever just like cafeteria food with less selection so that’s super fun...not. But life is busy and jandrew and Phil (my older brothers) just told me to make the most of it so I’m trying to just be a sponge and soak up as much as I can about how to be a good missionary and serve Jesus Christ better every day. The first day felt like a short century but time has been going by faster every day so it’s getting better, everyone in my district seems anxious to get to Australia but I’m trying to make the most of it and enjoy my time here so I think as long as I keep a positive attitude I’ll have a really good experience here before I head to Australia. I usually read letters and emails as night cuz if I don’t I’ll get distracted during the day from what I need to be working on but I want all the emails and letters ;) so I can read them at night and be thankful for having such wonderful friends and family <3

I love you guys and hope y’all are doing well. I’d love to hear from you through an email to the address above and I’ll respond to the emails I’ve already gotten in a little. I’m so blessed to know so many great people and to have this opportunity to help others grow and help myself grow.

Much Love,

Elder Nelson

P.S. that still feels kinda surreal being Elder Nelson now

P.S.S. I miss y’all and love y’all every day